Meet the Presenters
Here are brief backgrounds on all of the presenters giving workshops at this years ACAMIS ELL Conference
Katherine Tosi became a certified secondary English teacher in Vermont, USA in 1992 with a major in English and a minor in German. Since then she has been teaching English as an Additional Language and/or mainstream English. She moved abroad in 1996 and has taught in Switzerland, Thailand, Burma, Korea and Australia and now is in Beijing, China. She earned an MA in Applied Linguistics in 2003 in Sydney, Australia and began her current position 3 years ago as Head of Secondary EAL at Dulwich College Beijing. Her interests include CLIL, developing EAL PD for mainstream teachers and Writing Across the Curriculum. She is currently gaining a Diploma in Special Education needs from the Blackford Centre in the UK.
Addie Loy believes that learning takes place in an atmosphere of acceptance. In her classroom every student is recognized, respected, and celebrated for their abilities and uniqueness. Addie works to create a communicative learning environment where students are free to make mistakes, explore, and experiment. Addie received her undergraduate degree in teaching with an emphasis in social sciences. While teaching history and geography at the middle school and high school levels, she developed a passion for teaching English as a second or foreign language (ESL). She holds a Master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL) and worked with adult students in training centers and at the Community College level. Addie is the team leader for the ELL department at the International School of Nanshan. Next year, she will stop teaching to focus on being the Curriculum and Instruction coordinator and the MYP Coordinator. Addie is an accomplished singer/songwriter, has been published in the Journal of Appalachian Studies, and provides special tutoring for the Education Bureau of Nanshan.
Steve Samuels was born a long time ago in London, England, and studied Russian and English. He became a teacher of Modern Languages and worked subsequently as Head of English at two High Schools in the UK. He taught in Kiev, in the Ukraine, with the British Council. In 1999 he came to China to teach and was hired by WAB in Beijing in 2008, after a few years' working independently as an IELTS examiner, language consultant and teacher of ESOL.
Paul Lieblich, Ed.D., has been involved in education for over 40 years. His experience began with special needs students after which he taught classes from kindergarten through high school. For the past 25 years he has been the director of international schools in Europe, the Caribbean and China. In 1995 he was recognized jointly by the National Association of Elementary Principals & the United States Department of State as a National Distinguished Principal. He has maintained a keen interest in curriculum and was a co-founder and co-author of the PYP. More recently he was the Executive Principal of EtonHouse International Schools - China. He is currently working with a Chinese investor to create a “Chinese Baccalaureate Diploma”.
Andres Sanchez has an undergraduate degree in Foreign Languages and a Master’s in TESOL from Greensboro College, North Carolina. He has teaching experience in the United States, Colombia, Sudan, Mexico and China. He has taught ESOL across all grade levels from Kindergarten to College level. He is an active member of the TESOL International organization and has participated in TESOL symposiums in Doha, and Guangzhou.
Jennifer Nicklas is a secondary art instructor at QISS. She works to cultivate in her students a meaningful relationship with the visual arts. Before coming to China, Ms. Nicklas taught in the United States where she had several articles published. She received her undergraduate from Northern Arizona University. When she’s not teaching, Jennifer enjoys having adventures with her family.
Ruth Duque has been and international educator for over 25 years. She has a Master’s degree in Linguistics and Teaching English as a Second Language from the University of Michigan. She has also done graduate work at Yale and Columbia University. She has attended the EARCOS Teachers’ Professional Development Conferences for 8 years while working in Vietnam. She has taught ESL across all grade levels from kindergarten to college level as well as adults in the Unites States, Canada, Ecuador, Egypt, Vietnam, and now in China. She is currently the ELL Coordinator at Qingdao No. 1 International School of Shandong Province.
Patrick King is from Wisconsin, U.S.A. and has been living and teaching abroad for much of the last decade. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Carleton College (Minnesota, U.S.A) and a Masters of Education from George Mason University (Virginia, U.S.A.). He is certified by the Commonwealth of Virginia in Middle School Social Studies, Middle School Language Arts, and English as a Second Language (Pre K-12). Mr. King decided on a career in education after serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras from 2006-2008.He is currently teaching Middle School Social Studies and Language Arts at Qingdao No. 1 International School of Shandong Province (QISS) and has previously worked as an ELL support teacher at both the primary and secondary level.